Council News

£1m of improvements to a Newcastle congestion hotspot get underway

A £1m package of improvements which will help to tackle congestion at a busy Newcastle junction is underway.

Newcastle City Council will be widening the road at Kingston Park Road and Fawdon Lane to tackle queuing traffic, which backs up to the A1.

With new homes being planned for the area, the council has identified problem junctions across the city which need investment to improve efficiency and smooth out traffic flow.

Cllr Ged Bell, cabinet member for investment and development said: “Newcastle is growing, with over 21,000 new homes planned by 2030, creating 14,000 new jobs and bringing new families and communities to our city. We need to have the infrastructure in place to cope with this extra demand on our roads network which is why we are making a number of improvements to key junctions and routes across the city, to keep Newcastle moving now and for future generations.

“One of these junctions is Kingston Park Road and Fawdon Lane which currently suffers from congestion and can lead to queuing traffic on the A1 Western Bypass. We’re investing a little over £1m secured from housing developers and a bid to Highways England to fund this project.

“We plan to widen the road, installing a new eastbound lane, so traffic turning right into Fawdon Lane doesn’t block other traffic movements which will improve the way the road works. New intelligent traffic lights will also be installed which detects traffic levels and adjusts signal timings appropriately to smooth traffic flow at peak periods.

“At the same time, we will install a shared cycle lane and pedestrian walkway, install better and safer crossings and put in place new planting, benefiting the whole community.

“But there is more that we need to do to alleviate pressure on the A1, which is why we are also looking at improvements to Kingston Park Road west of the A1. We would like to improve this area to alleviate the issues for all people travelling here. We are planning to talk to residents and businesses in the area about future works here and we want to hear their views and experiences of using this area to help us form our plans.

“We’re also continuing to work with Highways England to progress plans for further investment in the A1 Western Bypass in a similar vein to the changes recently made in the vicinity of Team Valley.”

Due to the volume of traffic using the area and the potential impact on the A1, the council plans to minimise disruption by carrying out the majority of the works during off peak hours.

Local residents have been informed of the works and will be kept up to date regarding any necessary road closures or night working. The works are due to last until Autumn 2017.